Track toy

ABSTRACT

A TRACK TOY COMPRISES A BASE SIMULATING A MOUNTAIN LANDSCAPE TRAVERSED BY A CONTINUOUS TRACK INCLUDING AN UPGRADE AND ONE OR MORE DOWNGRADES. TOY VEHICLES ARE POWER DRIVEN UP THE UPGRADE AND ROLL DOWN THE DOWNGRADES BY FORCE OF GRAVITY. A CONTROL STATION IS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH DOWNGRADE FOR SELECTIVELY ARRESTING AND RELEASING A VEHICLE ROLLING DOWN THE GRADE. CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE IS EFFECTED BY MOVING A STOP MEMBER CONSTITUTING PART OF EACH STATION INTO AND OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE VEHICLE ON ONE OF THE DOWNGRADES.

A. EINFALT TRACK TOY Oct. 19, 1971 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June. 16. 1970 IN VEN TOR. 104 F3950 Em/r/u r BY HM Rug M 9m Oct. 19,1971 A. EINFALT 3,613,304

TRACK TOY Filed June 16, 1970 5 Sheets-Sheet Fig. 5

INVENTOR. 10L FRA'fl AVA/F94 7 United States Patent 3,613,304 TRACK TOY Alfred Einfalt, Nuremberg, Germany, assignor to Firma Gebruder Einfalt, Nuremberg, Germany Filed June 16, 1970, Ser. No. 46,637 Claims priority, application Germany, Mar. 28, 1970, G 70 11 453.3 Int. Cl. A63h 17/00 US. Cl. 46-206 18 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A track toy comprises a base simulating a mountain landscape traversed by a continuous track including an upgrade and one or more downgrades. Toy vehicles are power driven up the upgrade and roll down the downgrades by force of gravity. A control station is associated with each downgrade for selectively arresting and releasing a vehicle rolling down the grade. Control of the vehicle is effected by moving a stop member constituting part of each station into and out of engagement with the vehicle on one of the downgrades.

The invention relates to a track toy providing a continuous track including at least one upgrade and one downgrade, and more particularly, a track toy of this kind in which a toy vehicle is driven up on the upgrade by drive means associated with the track, and can be selectively stopped or released when and while rolling down the downgrade by the force of gravity.

BACKGROUND There are known track toys of the general kind above referred to in which a control station associated with the downgrade of the track comprises a stop member which is movable into the path of a vehicle on the downgrade through an opening in the track and stops the vehicle by engagement of the stop member with a pin downwardly extending from the body of the vehicle. To release the vehicle, the stop member is pivoted out of engagement 'with the pin by means of an actuating member fitted into the track base and coupled with the stop member by a linkage provided below the level of the track. Such arrangement requires inclusion of the openings in the base of the toy at the time the base is formed, or subsequently by an additional machining operation. Either way of producing the necessary openings entails additional manufacturing steps and thus increases the over-all costs of the toy. Moreover, a special protrusion such as a pin capable of coacting with the stop member must be provided on the vehicle. Such special protrusions further increase the costs of the toy and limits use of the toy to vehicles equipped with a special protrusion.

Track games of the kind herein referred to are now-adays mass-produced, either by molding most of the components such as the base on which the track is formed out of plastic or by stamping and pressing the components out of sheet metal. As is apparent, the manufacturing costs of the toy are an important factor for economic acceptability thereof.

THE INVENTION It is a broad object of the invention to provide a novel and improved track toy of the general kind above referred to which permits control of a vehicle rolling down a downgrade without requiring special openings in the track and a special protrusion on the vehicle.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved track toy of the general kind above referred to in which stopping and release of the vehicle 3,613,304 Patented Oct. 19, 1971 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The aforepointed out objects, features and advantages, and other objects, features and advantages which will be pointed out more fully hereinafter, are obtained by providing on a control station adjacent to the downgrade of the track and including a stop member mounted above the track and pivotal crosswise of the direction of travel of the vehicle. This stop member when moved into its stop position engages the body of the vehicle, preferably at the highest point thereof, thereby arresting the vehicle. The stop member can be moved into and out of its stopping position by means of an acuating member disposed spaced apart of the right of way of the track.

Preferably, the stop member is in the form of an angle member. One arm of this member effects the actual stopping or release of the vehicle by engagement with the same, while the other arm constitutes a signal arm and is so set that it is horizontal when the stop arm engages the vehicle and is upwardly slanted when the stop arm is pivoted out of the path of the vehicle. In other words, the horizontal position of the signal arm represents the STOP position, and the slanted position of the signal arm the GO position, thus simulating the type of STOP and GO signals as used in traffic control systems all over the world.

As it is now apparent, the control arrangement according to the invention permits stoppage of a vehicle arriving at the control station by means of a stop member extending into the path of the vehicle without requiring the provision of a special protrusion on the body of the vehicle, and also without requiring special openings in the track since the means for controlling the stop member are disposed spaced apart from the track, and are also operable from a location separated from the track.

According to one specific aspect of the invention, the angle member forming the stop arm and the signal arm is a right-angle member which is hinged to a carrier beam extending across the right-of-way of the track. One arm of the angle member coacts with an actuating member for controlling the angular position of the angle member.

According to another aspect of the invention, the stop arm of the angle member extends through a lengthwise slot in the carrier beam and coacts with the actuating member. The actuating member preferably comprises a slide which is lengthwise displaceable on the carrier beam. Displacement of the slide elfects pivoting of the stop arm from its release position, and thus of the signal arm from the GO position into the position in which the stop arm arrests the vehicle and the signal arm is in its STOP position.

The invention also provides that coaction between the slide and the stop arm is effected by means of a rib in the stop arm engaging a lateral groove in the slide.

The track toy of the invention is particularly attractive for a playing child when two substantially parallel downgrades and a switch at the entry end of the downgrades are provided so that the child can direct the vehicle to one or the other downgrade. A control station as previously described may be associated with one or both downgrades, thereby further diversifying the play possibilities otfered by the toy.

In the event that two downgrades, each associated with one control station are provided, the downgrades are preferably bridged by a common carrier beam. One angle member with arms forming the aforedescribed signal arm and stop arm must of course be provided for each control station. The stop arm of each angle member extends through a lengthwise slot in the carrier beam and a slide as also described is provided for coaction with the stop arm of the respective member.

According to another aspect of the invention, the slides are disposed on opposite sides of the slots so that the lateral groove in the slide on one side of the slot coacts with the rib on one stop arm and the groove in the slide on the other side of the slot coacts with the adjacent rib of the stop arm on the other angle member.

The arrangement of the angle member is particularly advantageous when the stop arms have a rib on both sides and each slide has in addition to its groove for engagement with the rib of the associated stop arm a lateral recess within the pivotal range of the rib on the other stop arm. With such an arrangement, the angle member can be pivoted by means of the slide coacting with the rib of its stop arm without causing pivoting of the other angle member also.

According to still another aspect of the invention, the track toy comprises a ringing device including a sounding member and a clapper coacting with the sounding member. The clapper is swung by means of a suitable drive means. A particularly advantageous arrangement is to place the sounding member such as a bell near the upgrade and to actuate the clapper for the bell by the drive means also used for driving a vehicle upwards on the upgrade.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In the accompanying drawing several embodiments of the invention are shown by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a track toy according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective exploded view of the slides and the angle members included in the control stations of the toy on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view, partly in section, of the carrier beam supporting the slides and angle members of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the carrier beam of FIG. 3, without the slides and the angle members;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the carrier beam as shown in FIG. 4, but including the slides and the angle members;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of FIG. 1 taken on line VIVI; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view, partly in section, of the signal device associated with the track toy.

Referring now to the figures in detail, the exemplified track toy as shown in FIG. 1 comprises a hollow base body 60 made of a suitable plastic such as poly vinyl chloride by molding, or made of sheet metal by stamping and pressing. The base has formed thereon a continuous track 1 including a curved upgrade 2 continued by a downgrade 3. At least part of the downgrade has preferably two branches 3a and 3b, as it is clearly shown in the figure. At the upper ends of the two branches a switch 5 manually operable by a handle 6 permits a playing child to direct a vehicle on track 1 to enter either one of the track branches 3a and 3b. The branches are rejoined by track sections 4 just ahead of the upgrade 2.

Any kind of wheeled vehicles such as cars, trucks, trailers, etc. may be used with the toy. By way of example, there is shown a train 7 comprising a locomotive 8 and two passenger cars 9 and 9 coupled to each other and to the locomotive, as it is diagrammatically indicated in the figure.

The toy is designed for vehicles which are not self-propelled but driven upwards on the upgrade 2 by means of a coil spring 11 fitted in a lengthwise groove in the upgrade 2. This coil spring which is below the level of the track bed, is lengthwise rotatable and driven by a small electric motor 12 concealed in the body of the base,

as it is indicated in FIG. 1. The motor is powered by a battery 13 and the motor circuit is controlled by a handle 14. Locomotive 8 should be visualized as having downwardly extending from its body a pin (not shown) engaging between turns of the coil spring thereby driving locomotive 8 and with it cars 9 and 9 along upgrade 2 when the coil spring is rotated and the pin on the locomotive is in engagement therewith.

A drive mechanism consisting of a rotary coil spring and a pin coacting therewith on the vehicle to be driven is widely known with toys of the kind here involved. It does not constitute part of the invention and is hence not described in detail.

The pin on the locomotive frees itself automatically from rotary coil spring 11 when the locomotive reaches the upper end of upgrade 2 so that the train begins to roll down the downgrade 3 by the force of gravity until the locomotive reaches the lower end of the downgrade where the pin on the locomotive again becomes engaged with rotary coil spring 11.

Control stations 15 and 15 are associated with downgrade branches 3a and 3b intermediate the length thereof, preferably adjacent to the lower end of the branches. The control stations comprise a common carrier beam 16 which bridges both branches; the beam rests at one end on a structure 17, simulating for instance a building, and at the other end on a post 18. Each control station further comprises a right-angle member 19 and 19'; the two angle members are alike. One arm 20 and 20' respectively of each angle member constitutes a stop arm and the other arm a signal arm 21 and 21 respectively, as will be more fully described hereinafter. The two angle members are pivotally supported by brackets 22 and 22 so that they are pivotal crosswise to the direction of travel of the train on branches 3a and 3b. For this purpose, the angle members mount at their fulcrum bearing pins 23 and 23' respectively, rotatable in bearings 24 and 24' respectively, in brackets 22 and 22' of carrier beam 16.

Stop arms 20 and 20' of angle members 19 and 19 respectively, extend downwardly through lengthwise slots 25 and 25' respectively, in carrier beam 16 and thus protrude toward the beds of branches 3a and 3b of downgrade 3.

Assuming now that the train 7 travels on branch 3a of downgrade 3 and that it is desired to stop the train when it reaches control station .15 associated with this branch. For this purpose, angle member 19 is placed in the position of FIG. 6. As shown in this figure, stop arm 20 extending through slot 25 in carrier beam 16 is in its up and down position while signal arm 21 is in its horizontal position, that is, in its STOP position. The manner in which the angle members are turned from the STOP position to the GO position or vice-versa, will be described more fully hereinafter.

Stop arm 20 in the position of FIG. 6 is in the path of locomotive 8, and more specifically, in the path of the highest part thereof shown as a smoke stack 26. Accordingly, the train is arrested at station 15. As it is evident, the stop arms and the superstructure of the vehicle traveling on the downgrade branches may be correlated in many different ways; it is only essential that the respective stop arm engages an upper part of the vehicle body when it is in the position shown in FIG. 6 for stop arm 20'.

Let it now be assumed that an angle member is in the position shown in FIG. 6 for angle member 19. In this position signal arm 21' is in the GO position and stop arm 20' is pivoted out of the path of the locomotive so that the train will pass the respective control station. Similarly, a train stopped at a control station may be released by turning the respective signal arm from the STOP position to the 60* position.

Angle members 19 and 19' are pivoted from the GO position into the STOP position and 'vice-versa, by means of actuating members operable from outside of branches 3a and 3b. For this purpose, two slides 27 and 27' are provided which are lengthwise displaceable on carrier beam '16 on opposite sides of beam slots 25 and 25' respectively. As it is best shown in FIG. 3, lateral guidance for the slides is obtained by ribs or lugs 29, 30 and 31, provided on a web 28 of the beam along the center line thereof and also by raised side walls 32. and 32' of the beam. Guidance above and below the slides is effected by web 28 of beam 16' itself, and also by crosswise flanges 33! extending from lengthwise ribs 29 and 31. Each slide 27 and 27' respectively, can be manipulated by means of a grip 34 and 34' respectively, secured to an end of the slides. The slides are arranged to act upon stop arms 20 and 20' of angle members 19 and 19 respectively. For this purpose, stop arm 20 of angle member 19 has on one side a crosswise rib or lug 36 engaging a lateral groove 35 in slide 27. Similarly, stop arm 20' of angle member 19 has on its side opposite to rib 36 a crosswise rib or lug 36 engaging a groove 35' in slide 27', as it is best shown in FIG. 5. Since as previously stated the angle members are alike, the stop arms 20 and 20 thereof have on both sides a lengthwise rib so that the rib 36 of stop arm 20, a similarly shaped crosswise rib 37 opposite to it, and the rib 36' of stop 20 has also opposite to it a crosswise rib 3-7.

Pi voting of stop arm 20 of angle member 19, pivotal by means of slide 27 by displacement of slide 27', is prevented by providing in slide 27" within the pivotal range of rib 37 of stop arm 20', an elongate recess 38', the walls of which are not in contact with rib 37 and can also not come in contact with this rib. As a result, displacement of slide 27' cannot also act upon angle member 19. Similarly, an elongate recess 38 in slide 27, provided within the pivotal range of rib 37 of angle member 19' assures that displacement of slide 27 cannot act upon angle member 19'.

Angle members 19 and 19' and slides 27 and 27' are conveniently mounted on carrier beam 16 by first inserting the slides into their guides and then inserting the angle members into their brackets 20 and 20'. In the event these brackets and possibly also the carrier beam 16 and its post 18 are made of an elastic material such as a flexible plastic, brackets 22 and 22' are simply spread somewhat apart and the bearing pins 23' and 23 of angle members =19 and 19 are then snapped into the bearing holes 24 and 24' respectively, in the brackets.

Rotation of coil spring 11 can of course also be effected by a drive mechanism such as a spring motor instead of a small electric motor .12 powered by battery 13.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the track toy comprises a ringing device preferably associated with the upgrade 2 and disposed below the bed level of track 1. The device comprises a sounding member 40 such as a bell, which is mounted on the bottom side of a housing 41 of the device. The device may be secured by any suitable means to base body 60 such as bendable tongues 42, as it is indicated. The side walls 41a of housing 41 mount a clapper 44 pivoted to the housing walls by pins 43 and 43 respectively, to define a two-armed lever. The clapper has an arm 45 continued by a bent-off portion 46 arranged for striking bell 40, as will be more fully described hereinafter. Another arm 47 of the clapper 44 coacts with the drive fitted in upgrade 2. As stated before, this drive includes the rotary coil spring 11 driven by motor 12. To operate the ringing device by means of the coil spring, housing 41 of the ringing device mounts a rotatable vertically disposed gear 43 in mesh with coil spring .11. For this purpose, gear 48 extends through a cut-out 49 in track 1 (see FIG. 1), and protrudes with its teeth 50 between turns of coil spring 11; as shown in FIG. 7, the top part of the gear coacts with the coil spring. Gear 48 further mounts on one of its sides a lug or pin 51 which is so positioned that it intermittently engages arm 47 of clapper 44 when the gear is rotated and the clapper is in the position of FIG. 7.

As the gear rotates, pin 51, presses arm 47 downwardly until the pin has reached an angular position freeing arm 47. At this moment, clapper arm 45' and thus its portion 46 which have been pivoted away from hell 40 are free to swing back into the position of FIG. 7, there- .by causing arm portion 46 to strike bell 40 and thus causing the bell to sound. Clapper arm 47 is now returned into the position of FIG. 7, that is, into the path of pin 51. As it is now apparent, the sounding of the bell is repeated each time pin 51 engages clapper arm 47.

The ringing device 39 can be rendered active and inactive respectively, by means of a grip 52 acting upon clapper 44. For this purpose, the grip is in the form of a two-armed lever, the fulcrum of which is hinged to side wall 41a of housing 41 of the ringing device by a pin 52a. Arm 53 of the lever protrudes upwardly and extends through a slot 54 in the base 60 as it is clearly shown in FIG. 1. The other arm 55 of the lever mounts a lug or pin 56. This pin extends through a curved slot 57 in side wall 41a. The length and the curvature of the slot are selected in accordance with the angle through which grip 52 is to be pivoted. As shown in FIG. 7, pin 56 extends into the interior of housing 41 for coaction with an arm 47' of the clapper. Arm 47' is connected by an arm 45" to bent-off portion 46. As shown in FIG. 7, arm 47 coacts with pin 56.

FIG. 7 shows the ringing device in the position in which clapper portion 46 has just struck bell 40. Grip 52, and more specifically pin 56 thereof, are in the angular position in which arm 47 is clear of pin 56 but arm 47 is in the path of pin 51.

The aforedescribed position of the ringing device is the active or ringing position thereof. Assuming now that gear 48 is rotated via coil spring 11 in clockwise direction, pin 51 upon engaging arm 47 will turn the clapper in counterclockwise direction about pins 43 and 43', thereby withdrawing clapper portion 46 from bell 40. After turning of the gear through a predetermined angle, pin 51 will slide off arm 47 thereby freeing the clapper for swinging back by the force of gravity into the position of FIG. 7, thus effecting sounding of the bell. As it is evident, sounding of the bell will occur once during each revolution of gear 48.

To discontinue ringing by the ringing device, grip 52 is turned in clockwise direction into an angular position in which the clapper is held via pin 56 and arm 47' in an angular position in which arm 47 is no longer in the path of pin 51 so that the clapper is not operated as gear 48 rotates.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to certain now preferred examples and embodiments of the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art, after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is intended therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A track toy comprising in combination:

a base body simulating a mountain landscape and including a continuous track with at least one upgrade and one downgrade;

a wheeled vehicle;

drive means extending along the upgrade for driving the vehicle upward on the upgrade, the vehicle rolling down the downgrade by force of gravity; and

a control station associated with the upgrade for selectively arresting and releasing the vehicle on the downgrade, said station including:

a stop member, a support means mounted on said base body adjacent to the downgrade and supporting said stop member movable between a STOP position in which the stop member protrudes into the path of the vehicle for engagement with an upper body portion thereof thereby arresting the vehicle, and a GO position withdrawn from said path thereby releasing the vehicle for passage of the station, and actuating means supported by said support means, said actuating means coacting with said stop member for selectively moving the same into either one of said positions.

2. The track toy according to claim 1 wherein said support means comprises a carrier beam extending above and across the downgrade, said stop member being pivotally mounted on said beam.

3. The track toy according to claim 2 wherein said stop member is an angle member, one arm of said member constituting a signal arm and the other arm constituting a stop arm pivotal into and out of the path of the vchcle when on the downgrade, said stop arm being coupled to said actuating means, the signal arm being horizontal in the STOP position and upwardly slanted in the GO position of the stop member.

4. The track toy according to claim 3 wherein said carrier beam includes a lengthwise slot, said stop arm extending through said slot pivotal therein for movement of the stop arm into and out of the path of the vehicle.

5. The track toy according to claim 3 wherein said actuating means comprises a slide supported on said carrier beam lengthwise displaceable thereon, said slide being coupled with said stop arm for selectively pivoting the same into the position in which the signal arm is in the STOP and GO position respectively, by displacing the slide on the beam.

6. The track toy according to claim 5 wherein said slide is coupled to said stop arm by a lug and a groove provided on the arm and the slide respectively, and engageable with each other.

7. The track toy according to claim 1 wherein said downgrade includes two track branches and a track switch at the upper ends of said branches, said track switch being settable for directing a vehicle to either one of said branches, and wherein each of said branches is associated with a station as defined in claim 1.

8. The track toy according to claim 7 wherein said support means comprises a carrier beam extending across both downgrade branches and including two lengthwise elongate slots, the stop member of each of said stations being an angle member, one arm of said member being a signal arm and the other arm being a stop arm pivotal into and out of the path of the vehicle on the respective branch of the downgrade, said stop arm being coupled to the respective actuating means for selectively pivoting the respective angle member, the signal arm of each angle member being horizontal in the STOP position and upwardly slanted in the GO position of the stop member, the stop arm of each angle member extending through the respective one of said slots and being pivotal therein for movement of the stop arm into and out of the position in the path of the vehicle.

9. The track toy according to claim :8 wherein said actuating means comprises a slide for each angle member, each of said slides being lengthwise slidable on the carrier beam and coupled with said stop arm of the re spective angle member for selectively pivoting said angle member into the positions in which the signal arm thereof is in the STOP and GO position respectively, by displacing the respective slide on the carrier beam.

10. The track toy according to claim 3 wherein each of said slides is coupled with said stop arm of the respective angle member by a lug and a groove provided on the respective slide and stop arm respectively, and engaged with each other.

11. The track toy according to claim 10 wherein said stop arms of the angle members have a lug on each side, and each slide has in its side facing the respective lug a groove for receiving therein the respective lug to effect pivoting of the respective stop arm by displacing the respective slide and has further in said side a lengthwise recess accommodating the lug of the respective other stop arm thereby permitting pivoting of either stop arm independently of the respective other stop arm.

12. The track toy according to claim 1 and comprising a ringing device including a sounding member, a clapper member engageable with the sounding member, and a drive means for actuating said clapper member.

13. The track toy according to claim 12 wherein said clapper member comprises a pivotally mounted twoarmed lever, one arm of said lever being engageable with said sounding member, and a rotatable member driven by said drive means, said rotatable member mounting a lug intermittently engaging the other arm of the lever during each revolution of the rotatable member thereby intermittently causing the clapper member to strike the sounding member.

14. The track toy according to claim 12 wherein said ringing device is mounted adjacent to the upgrade and the drive means for driving the vehicle on the upgrade also actuates said clapper member.

15. The track toy according to claim 14 wherein said drive means for driving the vehicle on the upgrade and also actuating the clapper member comprises a coil spring fitted in a lengthwise groove of the upgrade axially rotatable therein, and wherein said rotatable member comprises a gear in mesh with turns of said coil spring thereby rotating said gear as the spring rotates, said lug being mounted on one of the sides of the gear.

16. The track toy according to claim 15 and comprising a manually operable actuating means for selectively coupling the signal device to said drive means.

17. The track toy according to claim 16 wherein said actuating means for the ringing device comprises a pivotally mounted two-armed lever, one arm of said lever being operable from the outside of the track for pivoting the clapper member into and out of a coupling position, the other arm of said lever in the coupling position thereof being intermittently engaged by said lug as the gear rotates thereby moving said clapper member into and out of coacting engagement with the sounding member and in the uncoupled position being pivoted out of the path of the lug.

18. The track toy according to claim 17 and comprising control means coacting with said one lever arm for moving the clapper into and holding it in an angular position in which said other lever arm of the clapper is clear of the rotary path of said lug on the gear.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,065,713 11/1962 Einfalt 46-216 X 3,466,791 9/1969 Einfalt 46-206 X 3,541,724 11/1970 Einfalt 46--202 LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner D. L. WEINHOLD, 1a., Assistant Examiner 

